Who has the most hours on their Kioti?

[steve0413]

Not to get in an argument about paint, but I grew up around John Deere tractors and wouldn't have considered any other brand...................25 years ago. Things have changed. Go look at the specs on 40hp John Deere, Mahindra and Kioti and you'll see something pretty glaring that is more important than horsepower and that's tractor weight. The JD will be a full 500+ lbs lighter than Mahindra or Kioti. That's BIG, very BIG. My dad always told me growing up that you could have 1000 hp tractor and it's useless without weight. Again I'm not trying to start anything but am amazed that the non JD brands don't push that very important fact when going up against JD's. The quality of Mahindra and Kioti are as good as any, they're just not marketed properly, at least in my opinion. Sorry if I got too far off topic.

 

[Dargo]

Not to get in an argument about paint, but I grew up around John Deere tractors and wouldn't have considered any other brand...................25 years ago. Things have changed. Go look at the specs on 40hp John Deere, Mahindra and Kioti and you'll see something pretty glaring that is more important than horsepower and that's tractor weight. The JD will be a full 500+ lbs lighter than Mahindra or Kioti. That's BIG, very BIG. My dad always told me growing up that you could have 1000 hp tractor and it's useless without weight. Again I'm not trying to start anything but am amazed that the non JD brands don't push that very important fact when going up against JD's. The quality of Mahindra and Kioti are as good as any, they're just not marketed properly, at least in my opinion. Sorry if I got too far off topic.

You should buy Jinma or Foton. Not only are they some of the least expensive tractors available, but are also some of the heaviest. Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for your "weight = quality" argument.

 

[TheRegMan]

You should buy Jinma or Foton. Not only are they some of the least expensive tractors available, but are also some of the heaviest. Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for your "weight = quality" argument.

He didn't say that at all. Just said that it was an important factor. His comment was that Kioti and Mahindra were quality tractors that were heavy.

 

[steve0413]

Thanks TheRegMan. I was just saying that it takes good marketing to overcome peoples hangups and misconceptions. I equate it somewhat to bottled water. Marketing has convinced people that you can pay over a dollar for bottled water and are getting a better product than tap water which costs 1 cent, when in reality, test after test has confirmed that tap water in most cases is actually better for you and purer. I don't know what the answer is other than better marketing and to get Kioti into the mainstream to where major dealers aren't afraid to take on those lines of tractors.

I'm tempted to go out and put 2000 hrs on my Kioti just to prove the point.

 

[Dargo]

He didn't say that at all. Just said that it was an important factor. His comment was that Kioti and Mahindra were quality tractors that were heavy.

Oh really?! "Go look at the specs on 40hp John Deere, Mahindra and Kioti and you'll see something pretty glaring that is more important than horsepower and that's tractor weight". It's precisely that sort of misconception that has been spread around that keeps well established dealers from having any interest in carrying one of those products. All well established tractor manufacturers, sellers and mechanics know that weight can be advantageous at times and a severe disadvantage at other times. To state that weight is so important only demonstrates what these dealers mean, the customers buying those sort of tractors don't have a clue about what they are buying and are generally first time buyers who buy based on incorrect sales tactics and weigh price far more than quality.

As I said earlier, the dealer I was trying to talk into taking on Kioti passed when they failed to provide any proof that their tractor isn't primarily marketed to people who posted exactly what was quoted here. There's room for everyone in even this market. People who believe that melted down pot metal and a cheaper price need to have roadside stands available to sell them tractors because they have virtually no overhead. If you read many of my posts, my position is that Mahindra and Kioti have begun to move out of having to sell strictly on price and misinformation in selling. Unfortunately, it appears as if I was wrong. The responses here even prove that Kioti is trying, at the cost of losing some good smaller dealers, that they've moved beyond being a Kubota knock-off using inferior metallurgy, which requires them to use more to get the same strength, and selling strictly on price. I still firmly believe they are ready to make that move but it's a lot of their own customers who are preventing them from moving up to that next level and being a top tier tractor. I think the product itself is ready now and all they need to do is improve their distribution system and better educate their customers on what constitutes a quality tractor.

 

[TheRegMan]

Can a light weight tractor be a quality tractor? Absolutely. depending on what you want to do with it. There is no doubt that for an "all around" tractor, weight is a significant factor. Go to everythingattachments.com and watch them pulling a 2 bottom plow with a 50 hp Kubota in their demo video. They will explain that the tractor is going to struggle and if a person had an older, heavier tractor, even with much less horse power, he could pull the 2 bottom plow with ease.

Is weight more important than HP? At times, probably so. At other times, probably not.

Do you think JD and others have not gotten lighter over the years? I bet they have and I am sure quality had nothing to do with it. I suspect it was a matter of cost cutting and improving the profit margin.

We shouldn't be so quick to simplify peoples comments to make ourselves appear overly intelligent.

 

[TheRegMan]

Dargo, I think you can disregard my last line and accept my apology if you will. I don't think that is what you were doing. I do believe you took Steve's comment entirely out of context though.

There are a lot of good points on this forum. I have learned a lot here and I just think we need to be careful about minimizing people's comments. We can easily see through stupidity. Steve's comment certainly was not stupid. I think you would agree with that.

 

[steve0413]

Dargo said, "All well established tractor manufacturers, sellers and mechanics know that weight can be advantageous at times and a severe disadvantage at other times. To state that weight is so important only demonstrates what these dealers mean, the customers buying those sort of tractors don't have a clue about what they are buying and are generally first time buyers who buy based on incorrect sales tactics and weigh price far more than quality."

You have tried to become argumentative but I really don't want any part of that. But inferring that I and others on here "don't have a clue about what they are buying" is totally wrong. And just for the record, I'd sure like to hear just ONE situation where weight can be "a SEVERE disadvantage".

 

[lakngulf]

Wow, I was reading along and then realized I might need a bullet proof jacket. It sounds to me, Dargo, that your guy had his mind made up before he asked you for info. And your mind seems to be made up that no one who has a Kioti understands that they have a "ready for prime time" tractor. I got lost in the conversation somewhere.

 

[IslandTractor]

FYI, Dargo is often kinda gruff and blunt. One should not take offense. I doubt seriously he is trying to pick a fight here. He has been a secret admirer of Kioti tractors for a while and I suspect he would own one if there was in fact a local dealer he trusted.

His point is technically correct regarding weight but as others have pointed out he chose to take literally the comment that "heavier is better" when I am sure he and all others know that it is only one factor in choosing a good tractor and that it is sometimes not true (eg lawn mowing).